Love Emergency!
by Aura StarSinger
Summary: Hitomi is a young Doctor who has lost all purpose. In her self doubt she is transported to Gaea, where young King Van is injured and fighting a war against Zaibach. Oh did I mention that Gaea is also being ravaged by a plague.
1. Chapter 1

ONE: The Girl from the mystic moon

Hitomi starred out the window; her elbows resting on the ledge, her face cupped in her palms. Her emerald eyes stared out into the winter snow as it fell. She watched as each graceful snowflake landed onto the heaping piles of flawless white. She envied the snow flakes; the peaceful beauty as it landed in place among its mates; never alone, with a perfect purpose. She Hmmmed as she realised a man was talking to her. She looked over her shoulder at a tall lean blond.

"I got the differential back on your patient." She listened in an empty matter, although at heart she was sad that she had begun to lose enthusiasm for her healing craft. At last she stood, but knew the man talking to her was aware of her emptiness. "Well since you don't want to go over anything about work...why don't we go down to the cafeteria and have a cup of coffee?" Hitomi's gaze drifted from the cold window to the blond. His face was youthful, though dark rings were forming under his eyes, he had a pleasant smile and still not one hundred percent cewrtain of what he had just said she agreed. He smiled. She smiled back out of habit. "Great, my shift ends in half an hour." He set a clipboard on the table and departed from the room. She waited until he was gone and meandered over to the small round table. The clipboard sat open to the page of recent tests: Iron; good, Hemoglobin, fine, Iron; low but within healthy limits. Her eyes moved from the panel and back to the window. She felt empty again, more so than before as her heart drifted back to a tender and sorrowfull memory. That's right...it was five years ago today.

It was snowing that day. She sat at her grandmother's bedside. Hitomi had been in her third year of medical school; and her grandmother had been admitted with a terrible cough.

"Their's nothing more we can do." She remembered what the doctor had said. She knew him well. Sensei Hinamora. "The cancer is too advanced, even if we started her on steroids and Chemotherapy their is little chance she would make it." He nodded, his black head moving from side to side; lines drawn on his face with sincere regret. "You know it's not even the treatment that's an issue here Kanzaki, at your grandmother's age, with her immunity so low she would most likely sucumb to the first virus or infection that sets in. But I leave the decision up to you." She nodded.

"Thank you Sensei." She returned to the sleeping woman's bedside. She took her small wrinkled hand in her own. "I'm sorry Gram, I don't know what to do anymore. I don't want to lose you." She found the old woman waking, and stiffled her tears. They were the last tears she had ever cried. She didn't even cry when Gram died.

Hitomi heard a knock on the doorway. She stirred from her memories. She saw an intern waiting at the entrance. "Oh please come in, you don't have to wait outside on my account." She forced a smile. The intern shook her head.

"No, it's alrighty Dr. Kanzaki; actually I was looking for you." Hitomi perked up a bit. She had so few friends. She remembered Yukari, but the young woman had run off with a foreign buisness man sometime near the end of college. So it was nice to be sought out for any form of companionship.

"What can I do for you?" She asked. The intern blushed and pulled out a folded stack opf papers from her white coat.

"If you would please, I am applying to another hospital closer to my home town next year. I was wondering if you could give me a refference or a recomendation...anything at all would be very helpful." Hitomi looked a little surprised. The intern bowed several times. She nodded.

"If it would help, then I would be more than happy to give you a letter o refference." The intern looked glowy.

"Thank you, thank you so much. I'm so escited, my parents will be thrilled, and I'll get to se my boyfriend for the first time in three years." Hitomi was happy for the girl, but she secretly envied the vivacious attitude.

Their was another explosion sound outside the pavilion tent. Van spun on his heels as Balgus entered. The man was covered in grime and sweat, his armor was tarnished severely and he seemed out of breath. Blood trickled down the man's face from his forehead as he began his update.

"I'm sorry your highness. Zaibach has taken our troops to the south, we've lost most of our infantry, and more casualties are being reported each hour. King Van, the plague is wiping out most of the refugee encampments and a number of men ave reported to have symptoms." The old soldier slacked a little. It had only been a few yeard since Van had ascended to the throne. Shrtly after a war had ensued between Zaibach and most of the other countries on Gaea. Fanelia had come to aide it's ally Asturia only to find that the fighting was not the only cause of the rising death toll.

"How can they still be coming, are they not affected by this sickness?" He pondered. He came out of his wandering to give new orders. "Alright tell the men to pull back, I'll not have anymore lives lost. We need to regroup. Set up a sick camp as far from the main camp as possible. We'll need to recruit a few good men, and even some women to work in the tents. No one who is healthy goes in. The sick men will remain under quarentinne until they can be securly moved." He began to pace. Just this morning his travelling companion, a boy who cared for his horse and unpacked his belongings had fallen ill. "I've decided to ride to the front. I;ll take the Escaflowne and flank the men until they are safe. Send word to Allen Schezar; if anything should happen to me; the army will be turned over to you and he." He stopped and faced his friend. "That is my final decision." Balgus followed the king with his good eye. Certainly the King was a formidable force with his guymelef, but if he fell in battle then the line of Fanelia would die with him. The old soldier nodded.

"Yes my lord; as you wish..." He bowed. "But Van, don't get killed." The King turned a wry grin on his handsome face.

"Not to worry old friend, I have yet a many things to attend to." He waited as Balgus departed. Then he proceeded to send a man with his page to a sick camp he had already begun earlier in the week. Once it was acomplished he mounted the Escaflowne and headed South to the front.

Hitomi arrived home to her apartment with a small groccery bag. She opened the door and slipped off her flats. She changed to her slippers and padded across the foyer to the kitchen. She put the groccery bag into the fridge and made her way to the bathroom. She plugged the tub and turned on the water to hot and headed for her bedroom. She removed a change of clothes and a small white envelope from her underwear drawer. She carried into the bathroom and set them on the toilet beside the tub. She slipped off her lavender pencil skirt and her button up beige top. She drapped them over a towel hanger and peeled off her under garments. Stepping into the tub she began to melt. She sank into the water until it covered her head. After a minute or two she came back up for air and turned the faucet off.

After a half an hour the water cooled to simmering. Hitomi lounged back in the silence, her eyes slightly glazed. _How had she ended up alone like this? _She shook herself out of it, the dark thoughts parting enough to bring her back to her surroundings. She sat up, letting the warm droplets roll off her breasts and shoulders. dried her hands and pulled the small white envelope from its location beside her. She opened the envelope and pulled out a dark silver chain. Suspended from it was a large drop shaped gem. She admired the pink gem for a few minutes and then she sat back into the water and held the gem up to the light. It glistened, and the light shot through it and illuminated it. It was the only thing her grandmother had left to her. It had come with a note: she read it whenever life seemed to get hard. She picked the envelope back up to read it. She looked inside and found the letter was missing. She jumped straight up. Worry filling her. She quickly stepped out of the tub and pulled on her pink bathrobe. She trotted back to her bedroom and pulled out the drawer holding her danties. She dumped it on the bed, the contents scattering everywhere. She slipped her pendant around her neck and began to tare through the clothing. she shook each item in serch of the small letter. _GREAT now I've lost it!_ She supressed her panic. At last she found the small paper. Releif washed over her. She turned and sat on the mattress; she sank into it finding the pendant on her skin. She wrapped her hand around it and calmed. She felt the gem warm in her hand, she closed her eyes the dim light fading from her mind. She felt silence and peace.

Van flew at top speed to the front of the battle. He kareened the flying dragon Escaflowne around, his sword drawn as the mouth of the giant beast opened and ignited flames onto the ground below. He flew up as he encountered a number of blue and green guymelefs. He evaded their weapons as barbs launched at him. A purple guymelf de cloaked in the air a hundred meters away. Van was caught off gaurd. His heart raced as he and the Escaflowne shot backward. The Dragon began top descend, Van holding on; his biceps and forearms buckling to keep him from being thrown to his death. The Dragon at last regained equilibrium and righted itself in the air. Van pulled hard on the reigns. He could take the battle to the ground , but he had an advantag from the air. If he could only avoid that purple guymelf....it had disappeared again. His dark amber eyes burning against the rising heat he searched the sky. Still nothing. The enemy had vanished. That is it vanished long enough to catch him square in the chest with a silver bolt. Van felt his breath catch in his chest, he struggled; panic filled him as he fell from Escaflowne. As he fell he called out. He hit the tree line within minutes and his familial white wings expanded from his body to slow his fall. He hit the ground not shortly after, and lost concsiousness. Darkness clouded his mind; and night settled over him.

In the darkness of sleep Hitomi saw her grandmother's pendant, swinging. The gem had enlarged to be a pendulum larger than herself; it began to swing like a grandfather clock. She counted it, her pulse quickened, and her mouth grew dry. She felt the emptiness of her life pouring in on her like a flood of water; washing over her coldly; but she still saw the pendulum swing, faster and faster. The walls of her mind began to disolve and she felt sheer madness and pain over take her. She fell to her knees, her heart aching as though it were rent in two. She cried out in pain her hands slamming onto the cold dark ground. She felt wind rush over her, and she smelled smoke from a distant fire. Her senses flared, and she became aware of the world around her. She looked up at the sky through a dark tree line; and saw the most bizzare and ammazing sight; the Moon, and the Earth hanging beside it on the horizon.

She stumbled to her feet, shaky legs standing and wobbling like the deck of a ship. She fell back to the ground crawling and dissoriented. Hitomi felt the moisture of the earth, and smelled mold. She wanted to vomit...but wait it wasn't just the smell of mold, it was something else. As a doctor she recognized it immidiately. Blood! Over coming her incompetent balance the brunette stumble forward until she stumbled over something large. She sank down feeling around in the dim light; it was a body. The body was injured. She heard a deep moan of pain; it was a man! She didn't know who it was, or where she was, but she took an oath to save lives; and she wasn't going to give up now.

**Author's note:** Hope you guys like it. It was a random story idea I had, and hopefully I'll continue to update it often. Please R&R. ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

TWO: Broken wing

**Author's note:** Just in case anyone wants to know; I am currently operating with out spell check or grammar check..so sorry for anyone who is OCD. Any ways with out further adeau; chapter two.

"Oh God are you alright?" Hitomi asked in a whispered panic. She felt the man's neck for a pulse; it was weak. She gulped. Generally the first thing she would do is get a gurney and relocate her patient to an OR stat, but looking around she wasn't sure their was a hospital for miles...or in existance. She breathed in and out a cole of times. She would have to make do with what she had. She felt for the pockets on her white lab coat...and realized all too conviniently she was only wearing her bathrobe. She forced thoughts of embarassment away. This man was dying.

For the moment however, he still had some pulse, and he was breathing. She began with a quick examination of his limbs; arms, legs, hands...as she reached his hsoulders she noticed the strangest protrusion. Beneath the scapula the muscle extended outward in a wing like fashion. She froze, taking a moment to analyze this new discovery. A bird man? Was their such a thing? It was irrelevant. Her initial evaluation; the patient had severe brusing on his torso, two cracked ribs, a fractured radius and most likely a concussion. The blood smell came from a number of superficial abrassions; most likely sustained during a fall. That brought her back to the bird man theory. She felt behind the scapula following the muscle and the arch of the wing. She realized the wing was larger than it looked and she began to open it to check for vital injuries. So far so good. She extended the wing and had to stand in doing so. Carefrully Hitomi brushed an area that felt pulp like; the man yelled in pain, he must have awakened. Then he fell silent. "I'm sorry, I just needed to know if you had sustained an injury, I didn't mean to..." She trailed off. It didn't matter, the man had regained his strength enough to pull her feet out from under her and barrel down on top of her. She hit the ground hard. Her back suddenly ached from the fall, and her head began to throb. The sudden shock was then replaced by the weight of a heavy grime covered body. She froze. Her emerald eyes searching in the moonlight. The man had removed a blade of some sort and it pressed against her throat. The length of it gleamed. She felt her body grow cold, but she was surprised at the brief flash of embarassment again. _Oh God I;m not wearing any clothes! Oh please don't notice. _ At first Hitomi wasn't sure what to do, but she was aware of the man's infirmities. Taking a brave shot she chose diplomacy, but if it failed then the palm of her hand would meet his cracked ribs.

"Who are you?" He growled, his voice slow and deep. She tried her voice, but it came out nervous and scared. _Damn!_

"My name is Doctor Hitomi Kanzaki. Please I didn't mean to...." He cut her off.

"I don;'t believe you, you're working for the Emperor aren't you?" He implied, she felt the cold steel press harder on her flesh. "Answer me!" He demanded. Hitomi was very scared.

"I'm not lying, you need medical assistance." She insisted. She bit her lip. "Please you're very injured, I can help you." He moved closer to her face straddling her legs. She felt a flush of heat. His face mived to within inches of her own. Please believe me, I don't want to have to use force on you." He almost laughed, but she knew he was looking into her eyes; he would see the scincerity. The knife pulled back, but she was still scared. When the blade disappeared she found hands on either side of her head....what was he looking at. Then he pressed his body low against hers and whispered in her ear.

"I believe you Hitomi; just don't move and don't make a sound. We're being watched." Hitomi filled with panic, her heart racing. She could hear the man's chest on top of her, his heart beat was steady, almost calm. Barely willing to breath they waited. Hitomi was not sure what kind of predator it might be, but she was willing to trust this wild man. After what felt like an hour he spoke. "Alright, I think it's clear." She flet his heat retreat from her, and one strong hand pulled her to her feet. Her hands immidiately went to the opening of her robe to hold it shut. He didn't seem to notice, and if he did he didn't say anything or seem to care much. She put aside her discomfort for a moment and returned to the problem at hand.

"Is their a clean source of water nearby?" She asked. "We should dress and set all of your wounds soon, or else you could have some permenent limitations." She insisted. She found a pair of dark amber eyes looking at her curiously.

"You are persistent; but please lady my name is Van. I think before you and I travel anywhere together, this simple exchange is required." She agreed. "As per you request I think I can find a stream, I flew over one not more than an hour that way." He said motioning in a direction east. Hitomi nodded absently, her mind going back to the abnormality.

"Then you are indeed a bird-man?" She asked. Their was a hesitation at first. Then he answered.

"No, I flew over this area on a machine...." Van then realized he was unaware of the Escaflowne's location. "In any case we should get moving." Hitomi heard him moving toward the east, and she followed the rustle of his movement into the foliage. They traveled for a long time in silence, and with her bare feet, Hitomi soon asked to pause. Un-use to the terrain and barely clothed she wasn't sure how long she could proceed.

"So how did you know I was telling the truth earlier?" She asked, curious. Van had stoped and leaned up against a tree. She could make out his sillohette. It looked as though the one injured wing remained; as for the other, she was unsure. He raised his head to look at her, undoubtably weary himself.

"Honestly; it was your smell." He said. She blushed, and was greatful for the darkness. "You smell unbelievably odd. Like the well to do women of the royal courts; but you have not the attire nor the personality to be such." He added. She chose to take this as a compliment.

"Wow, I didn't know my smell was so peculiar." She smiled, though he probably did not see it. "And no one that I know ever seemed to notice." He wiped his forehead. He was straining, she could tell.

"Well when you spend nearly a half hour on top f somebody else, you tend to notice these things..." he trailed off. "And other things." He was trying to politely tell her, he was aware of her near nakedness. The reminder made her more than happy to continue on their route, even if just to be distracted from conversation.

"We should probably get going again no?" She insisted. He nodded and took up the front. One thought popped in to her mind as she followed him. "What were we hiding from back their?" His voice was hushed.

"An assasin. I decided that you had to be telling the truth, because assasins don't generally mark their own men as targets." She felt cold all over. _Did he just save her life?_ "I noticed the intruder a little after you arrived, but it left as quietly as it came." She nodded. She moved closer behind him, if just to feel safe.

They reached a small stream fifteen minutes later. The smell of fresh water was welcome to the earthlings nostrils. And she rushed to it and splashed the contents of the bank onto her face. She loved the water. The cool sensation revived her, and she sat back on her heels. It was then that she noticed Van had collapsed onto the ground. His eyes looked glazed, but he remained conscious.

"Don't move; I need to get you undressed if I'm going to wrap your ribs." She began to remove a layer of light metal armor and leather. Beneath the leather flying jacket was a soft light tunic. The shirt was moist; and she knew she probably wouldn't be able to get it over his head, not with a bad wing anyways. The lame man produced his knife again and she knew he was suggesting she cut the shirt off. She nodded and expertly handled the blade opening the shirt like she would a patient's flesh during an operation. Delicately she removed the peices and tore them into strips, tied them together into one long bandage. "Do you mind if I wash you first?" She asked. As it was the environment was far from sterile, but he made no movement to protest. She tore the sleeves off of her robe and dunked one in the water. She sponged his torso removing blood from scrapes, and debris from his bruises. Hitomi began her wrap around the shoulder with out a wing and then across his pectorals. Soon enough the makeshift bandage was secured with a stealthy knot. Satisfied she sat back for a moment.

Her next task was to reset the stranger's arm. Van remained still though she knew it could feel good. She had very little fabric left, and feared the bottom of her robe would have to serve as such. Luckily she only needed enough to make a sling, and found her expensive bathing robe was now a short sleeveless frock. "Maybe you should get some sleep." She suggested. Van hesitated. "Don't worry, I have no wish to run off. Besides I couldn't get very far, and I don't exactly know anyone but you." He cracked a smile. A gust picked up and rushed through her, she shivered.

"I might get cold." He said weakly. Even though she had securely replaced his leather jacket he said it. Hitomi had a feeling that the sentiment was intended for her. She concidered the choices and conceded. Her pride would have to take a back seat, beside if her patient said he would be cold, then dammit she needed to keep him warm. It didn't hurt either that she had finally gotten a good look at him. The moon and the earth had risen over their clearing and she found her saviour Van was tall dark and handsome. "We should move into the trees though." He said. She nodded. She picked up the remaining scraps of fabric and put them in her exterior pockets.

Helping Van settle under a large tree she sat down beside him, leaning into his side, trying not to agravate his ribs. "Don't worry, I'll be fine by morning." He said, and that was the last thing she heard. Moments later she was asleep. She didn't dream of giant pendulums, and she didn't dream of home, or the strange place to which she had come; all she found was rest; warm, dark and silent.

Hitomi stirred sluggishly, she had been awakened by the cold. Her legs were bare and she had fallen over onto her side. "Good morning." She heard and oddly familiar voice say. Hitomi sat up and found a heavy leather jacket had been placed over her. She rubbed her eyes and ran her fingers through her short brown hair.

"Morning?" She asked. Morning for her was normally a pager beep, or an emergency phone call followed by ten cups of coffee. She looked around and caught sight of the earth in the sky and everything came rushing back to her. She shook from head to toe and Van took notice.

"You can put that jacket on if you're cold." He said. She could hardly believe it, he was unphased by the temperature and aside from his trousers he only had bandages on. She nodded and pulled the jacket around her, slipping her arms into the sleeves.

"Thank you." She said. She brushed a peice of hair from her face and walked over to join him by the stream. "I'm sorry, I'm not really a morning person." She said softly. He smiled, and she noticed for the first time that he had a very heart felt smile. She additionally noticed that as she peered at his back, that his injured wing had vanished. "How?" She inquired, not wanting to be rude, but he noticed her gaze.

"Oh, yes. My wings retreat normally, but apparently when they are injured they do not." He said as though finding out the hard way for the first time. She nodded still stunned.

"I'm sorry." She replied bowing. "I didn't mean to be nosy like that." She said and shook her head. He waved it off.

"It's alright, I'm sure it makes you a good healer where you come from." He said. She flushed. "Where might taht be?" He asked. He sat down on a large rock, he had some how managed a small fire and two fish were cooking on sticks near the little flames. She felt her mouth water, but remembered her manners.

"I'm from Japan...." She realized that really meant nothing to him. Instead she turned to the blue moon hanging in the sky. "There, that's where I come from." She said. His dark eyes stared off at the blue moon for a good long minute and then he nodded.

"I see, although I'd have guessed as much." He said. He offered her a seat by the fire. She was about ready to accept it when she felt the urge to answer nature's call.

"Can you hold that thought for a minute?" She trotted off deeper into the trees to relieve herself. She found a good spot near a bush of trees. This was like camping she thought.

When she was finished she set her robe back down and fluffed her hair, then she felt a terrible itch on her rear. "Please don't be poison oak." She begged. She lifted the side of her pink satin frock and noticed a perfectly round bug bite. "You have got to be kidding me." It was the size of a quarter; and it itched like nobody's buisness. She tried to ignore it. "Food first Hitomi." She reminded herself. She smoothed the front of her robe, when she heard a high male voice.

"Food? You have food, that's wondrful; I'd be more than willing to trade for..." Hitomi couldn't help it she let out a horrifically feminine scream as a short round man appeared, with protruding teeth. In seconds Van's form appeared in front of her.

"Mole man." Van said in a threatening voice. The mole man drew back a bit.

"Van Fanel!" He didn't seemed terribly scared, but the two were obviously aqcuainted. "I'm sorry, I didn'tknow this woman was traveling with you." He had a nervous laugh. Van gave a barely noticable nod. "Well then, I was going to offer it to your friend; but how abut a trade?" Van lowered his gaurd.

"What do you want? He asked skeptically.

"A meal, and some good company." He waved lightly at Hitomi. She could feel Van pressing back against her supportively.

"I am more than willing to share my food with another traveler, but this girl is not for sale." Then it hit HItomi. _Where the HELL am I?!_ She gulped, she wouldn't have dreamed she could be on the menu. The mole man seemed a little disappointed, but he conceeded.

"Well I'll take what I can get." He said. Van rolled his eyes. They waited as the mole man walked past them toward the stream and the cooking fish. "So where are you off to your ma..." Van cut him a quick look, and he was silent.

"I'm headed back to my camp. I'd say where, but who knows who you're working for these days." He insinuated. The mole man nodded.

"True, I'm not all that picky; although their is one man I'll never do buisness with again. Nearly took my head, and that was AFTER I brought him what he wanted." He had expressive facial gestures, and he mainly gave them toward Hitomi. She sat quietly watching. Her hand went quickl;y to the necklace around her neck. She held the gem tightly while the mole man talked. "You know what, I have something that might be helpful after all..." THe mole man 's eyes perked up and moved to the mole man's pack. He pulled out a smal bundle of leather. He carefully peeled back the sides to reveal a smelly green paste.

"What is that?" Hitomi asked amazed and disgusted at the same time.

"It's a salve, you know for that bite on your..." He paused as her face colored scarlett. The brunette jumped to her feet.

"You were watching me? you digusting little..." She was furious and embarassed beyond belief. She couldn't believe how she felt. She found Van putting his hands on her shoulders. "Why I should..." She was interupted.

"Why are you so upset, I'm trying to make up for my misdeed. After all that bite has got to be bothering you." She seethed. In truth it itched immensely. She ground her teeth. Van let go of her and walked forward, he was surprisingly agile even with cracked ribs and a sling.

"Alright, you heard the lady. She doesn't want what you've got. You shuld probably get on your way." He suggested wisely. Hitomi wondered if she should calm down and accept the appology. She really could use an anti-itch cream. She lowered her shoulders submissively.

"Wait." She said breathing out. "I will accept your appology, and your salve; but no more spying on me, or peeking or anything." She said a little exhasperated. He nodded his bald head fervently.

"Of course, of course." He waddled forward and handed the leather full of salve to her. She accepted it. "May I just say that you have the loveliest..." He broke off as her horrified expression turned dangerous. "Never mind, forget I said anything."

**Author's note:** Hey everybody, had to throw just a little bit of humor in their, hah hah. Okay well hope you liked it. Sorry if the mole man is a little occ; although I always thought that he was a little pervy.


	3. Chapter 3

THREE: Spies

**Author's note:** Thanks to everyone who reveiwed! I thought before I begin the next chapter I should start with giving thakns and answering a quick question. Hitomi is roughly around twenty six/ maybe twenty seven. Van is a year older than her or so. And they lead their lives in the same manner as before, except the war with Zaibach did not start until much later, and Van's father did not die until recently either; which means Falkon did not become evil until later.

The trio travelled silently for a long time. After two days they encountered a vilage where clothing could be purchased for Hitomi, and to her relief thick blankets. The sleeping arrangements had been awkward. Van had become suddenly distant in the Mole man's presence. He slept by himself and she slept near the fire; the mole man had to sleep on the far side from the same Hitomi felt she was getting any sleep because she worried the Mole man would some how get past her chivalrous protector.

They stood just outside of a tavern. After purchasing clothes Hitomi had found the room in the back and was able to change. She returned dressed in a long green skirt and pale blue shirt with a brown vest. Van found a good shoemaker and insisted that all of these gifts were payment for her torn frock; though she felt his generosity was more than equal. She laughed, and felt that it would only create a larger rift. She was fond of the dark hared man, mysterious though he was she was growing to trust him. She couldn't say as much for the mole man, but she was hoping they would part ways with him soon.

"What do you think?" Hitomi asked, she did a twirl in her new clothes. She didn't really care what the shorter one thought. Van gave a short smile.

"I'm glad you like them. And that's all that matters." He said. "As it stands I have to meet with someone in a town a few days from here. If you wish to continue to travel with me then we'll need to be ready to leave with in the hour." He turned to the mole man. "As for you, I hope I wont have to insist you will stay here." He prompted. The mole man smiled nervously.

"Of course I'm staying here. I have LOTS of buisness here." He said sarchastically." Their was an edge on his voice. Van nodded.

"Agreed, then we bid you farewell." The king said. He gestured for Hitomi to follow him and she trotted along after him. Once they were a fair distance from the trader he finally spoke. "Their is a good chance that the mole man is working for some less scrupulous characters. I'm hoping by abandoning him we may flush them out of hiding." He said low they weaved their way around stands and shoppers.

"You mean like the assasin?" She asked. She involutarily grabbed onto his good arm. Her cool delicate fingers encircled his thick dark forearm. He glanced down breifly at them, then returned to talking. "I think our next stop will be to get rations, but then we must leave. I really do have to meet someone soon; although making him wait is fine with me." He had an unconscious smile on his face. Hitomi couldnt help but wonder who this man was.

They left the town before the hour was up. Hitomi found the walking over terrain and low hills much easier in her boots, and warmer in the long heavy skirt. The pair walked in silence for several hours. When at last they stopped to make camp hitomi helped get kindling and firewood. She set the twigs and dry leaves by the out cropping for the fire. She brushed the residue off of her hands and looked down at them, she looked at them in an objective manner. She was still looking at them when Van began to use his flint.

"Anything interesting?" Hitomi looked up.

"No, it's nothing really...it's just my hands....I've used them for such complex and delicate procedures...and if you had told me a week or even a month ago that they'd be covered in dirt and grime gathering firewood, I would have balked; but now it doesn't seem so bad." A small smile rose to her lips. She sighed and sat back on a small log that had been collected for use as a seat. "In fact as much as I should be frightened by the prospect of being astronomically far from home on a strange world, with a strange man and strangers in general....I'm not." Their was relief in her expression, then awkwardness. She shrugged. "I must be the wierdest girl you've ever met." She added knocking on her head with one fist. Van's eyes looked up from the fire with a brief flicker of something she did not recognize; but what ever it was she felt her body start to heat up all over. Then he looked away and an awkward silence ensued. Hitomi felt cold when he did not response; but perhaps her question had only been a means of fishing for approval from him...she resigned.

After an hour of silence and cooking the pair were again in another position to talk. Hitomi was surprised when Van spoke first.

"So, what is it like where you are from? You are a physician no?" He asked. He removed his knife and sliced open the belly of a roasted fish. Hot cooked inards spilled out. She looked away from it aware that she too would be gutting the fish before she ate it. Van had explained to her on the first night of eating fish that he kept the guts intact because it kept the meat from drying out; and she couldn't argue with the flavor. She nodded.

"Yes. I work at a hospital; it's where all of our sick and injured go. Then we treat them and they get better and they go home back to their families." She felt a wave of nausea sweep over her...maybe it was homesickness after all.

"Then all of your sick they recover; no one dies on your world?" He asked curious. She shook her head, and she felt a burning sting of tears. She touched her face.

"No they die. I wish they could all live; but yes some die." Van saw the gesture of her fingers dabbing her eyes, and the tinge of emotion on her voice. He restaked his fish on the ground and took the one in her hands. He gutted it and handed it back to her. She smiled.

"Someone very special...?" He asked. She nodded. He was very intuitive. "A lover, or a husband?" He inquired. Hitomi saw two things in his questions; was she married? and Van too had lost someone he loved.

"Yes; my grandmother." He looked embarassed. He knew he had given away a secret aboput himself. "Although thankfully not a lover or a husband, although I don't know when I would have had the time to find one but..." She chuckled. He moved back to his stump and his fish; and was silent. "Where I am from many women have to make a choice; family or career. I'm the eldest of two children, so I chose a career." She nodded she had stood by her decision for a long time, or at least until her grandmother had died. It was then that the rules of life had changed. Up until then she had firmly believed you could have any dream you want; at least until you accept the concept of a mortal reality. The simple and plain truth was nobody lives forever and suddenly Hitomi knew that her life too was ticking away. Yet what had she truly done? At twenty seven she was alone; she barely kept in contact with her brother or her parents and she had only had a few off and on relationships in a ten year period. She tried to push her thoughts aside. She didn't want to think about her social life or lack there of. She looked up from her feet. "And you? Any family? A wife maybe?" She asked with a similar curiosity to his. His face tightened. Hitomi watched Van's face grow much older than his current age.

"Yes. Although they are all dead now. At least I'm almost certain they are." He stuck the skewer with the fish back in the dirt. "I too have a brother; he disappeared some time ago trying to fullfill the right of passage to..." He trailed off, afraid to give away his identity. "He's most likely dead, I have not heard from him or seen him in seven years. Some time after that my mother passed away; and two years ago my father died in battle." He closed his eyes. "He wanted to die; of that I am sure." His voice was tight. Then the knowledge she knew was coming hit her. "I was married once, eleven years ago. My wife died from an illness we were onl;y together for a year. I have never remarried." He said cooly. Hitomi gulped; how heavy. At least her family was alive; she just neglected to make the time to see them.

"I see. She must have been very special." Hitomi said softly. At the same time the brunnete felt a little thankful; some how she was very comfortable with this strange gruff man; and the thought of him belonging to another woman would have been upsetting. Silence fell. "I should probably check your wounds after we finish our meal." She suggested calmly; though ashamed of her previous thoughts. Realizing this her appetite suddenly vanished. She sighed, what was next?

Van put out the flames from the fire and banked the coals. He moved silently in the night as he listened to the quiet soft breathing of his traveling companion. The two moons were high in the sky, and the shimmering light of the stars gave some light to the darkness. He heard Hitomi stir a little and roll over. She was still sleeping, but she had turned toward him and the absent fire. He caught a glimpse of her face as the moonlight fell over her skin. The woman was bathed in the cool light and he felt the rush of sorrow that filled him at the time he had first caught sight of her. She was so similar; they could have been twins if it were not for her place of birth. He stifled the thoughts; his heart still ached from the death of his wife, but hitomi was not her replacement. He stayed a few moments longer watching her sleep and then set to work laying out his bed roll. Unlike the earthling Van was accustomed to the outdoors and the temperature this time of year. Yet nagging at the back of his mind were his men. Van had no doubt that Balgus could take command and make the appropriate decisions; but something darker was on the horizon he could feel it. The arrival of a girl from the mystic moon could be no coincidence.

In an attempt to quiet his mind Van thought back to his happiest moments. His child hood had been riddled with both happiness as well as saddness, but he recalled his mother's voice and the stories of Atlantis. He imagined lying in his bed and Folken sitting in the doorway pretending not to listen. The stories of his angelic Draconian ancestors filled his mind and he was lost in dreams.

"You can be a hard man to find." Van said. By afternoon of thesecond day he and Hitomi had reached a tavern owned by a mutual friend. A lean blond man sat back in a wooden chair, one leg slung gracefully over another. The man looked at Van with serious blue eyes, his face was drawn with lines; he eyed Hitomi as she stood not to far from her protector.

"I've come to find that in times of war being hard to find is a very desirable attribute." He sighed and turned his eyes to Van's. The young king was dark, his voice had grown deep in consternation.

"I need some information." Allen leaned forward; his legs slipping from their poise as he moved to listen more closely. "The Escaflowne has vanished. I was flying over the area when I was shot down by a shaded guymelef." Allen looked some what worried; this was not good news. "I just want to know if the other side may have captured it. You and I both know that Escaflowne in the hands of the could mean many more lives lost." Allen nodded.

"If you insist Highness." The word slipped out before Van could stop him. "I'll have my men look into it." He brought his hand up under his chin. He looked thoughtful, then Van interupted.

"Will it be a problem?" He asked concerned. Allen shook his head.

"No, no; I just have to recall who is still alive from intell. Aside from the usual casualties of war; our side is being hit hard by the plague." His face was grim. Van sagged in his chair.

"I set up a quarrentine before I left several days ago. You can send your sick." Allen agreed.

"I just hope they survive the journey." They both nodded. It was then that Van noticed for the first time that Hitomi was ease-dropping. He barely glanced to the side and noticed her tring to look indescrete.

"Additionally I am travelling back to my encampment; would their be any way in which someone could put this girl up for a while. I'd be more than willing to pay." Allen looked up fron his thoughts; he seemed disoriented.

"Hmmm, what?" He looked over at the girl. "Oh yes, of course. Just remember that after this is all over our trade agreements will resume as before." Van nodded.

"Fair enough." He grinned. "Although I think I'm getting the better wnd of the deal." He and Allen gave a hearty laugh.

"That bad huh?" Van grew a little quiet; but nodded. Then Allen recognized he was truck inside. It was then that Allen examined the brunette again and took in a hiss of air. He looked solemnly at his friend. "Don't worry I'll make arrangements within the hour." Van looked grateful. The blond pushed back his chair and stood. "In the meantime you two should enjoy our few sites and relax. For the time being Zaibach does not occupy our territory and you are all safe. I have some buisness to attend to and then I will return before dinner." Van nodded. "I would be honored if you two would have dinner with me tonight." Hitomi looked over at him. She smiled and Allen's face softened. "Then its settled. I bid you ado." The lean man disappeared out of the bar and Hitomi took up his seat.

"So when are we leaving?" She inquired. Van frowned.

"I'm leaving at sunrise; you will be staying here with Allen's people." Hitomi sat backed indignant.

"But what about your quarentinne camp; I can help." She said trying not to be too loud and make a scene. He shook his head.

"We are not having this conversation; this is our world and our problem; we'll handle it." She furrowed her brows, her face coloring a bit.

"You don't have to be macho; I'm a doctor. I didn't go to medical school for seven years so I could do gastric bypasses all day. You have a real problem here, and I am in a position to help." She demanded. She hit her fist on the table between them, pain shot through her arm. Van pushed back his chair.

"No! you are staying here, end of story." He said in a very deep masculine voice. She stood up as quickly. "I'll not be responsible for your death as well." His voice was growing thick, what emotion was it? She gritted her teeth.

"You won't be, I choose to go. If I die I die." She pointed a finger at her chest. He fumed and after a s ilent beat hew stormed out of the pub. Hitomi felt immidiately cold inside. _Why ? Why? _was all she could think.


End file.
